Since early 1916 British tunnelling companies had been constructing mine shafts that extended directly beneath the German front line positions at Messines. Messines was a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres, better known to New Zealand as Passchendaele, in October 1917. The Messines Ridge (NZ) Memorial stands within Messines Ridge British Cemetery & commemorates 828 soldiers of NZ Expeditionary Force who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918, incl the Battle of Messines, & have no known grave. The New Zealanders secured their objectives and the battle … You are in the New Zealand Memorial Park at Messines. This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. New Zealanders played a prominent role in the successful action at Messines but paid a heavy price: 3700 casualties, including 700 dead. At 3.10 a.m. on 7 June, huge mines that had been placed under the German lines by hard-working tunnellers exploded. Australian troops then continued the push eastwards, extending the front line to the purple dotted line. New Zealand troops were tasked with taking the Belgian town, and did so within a couple of hours. 7 June Meet the NZHistory team. Australian and British troops moved forward on their flanks. The Battle of Messines was regarded as the most successful local operation of the war but it left a legacy: six mines were not used. Capture of Messines Ridge. Members of the Pioneer Battalion laying a road in Messines, Belgium, in 1917, immediately after an advance. The Battle of Messines took place from June 7 to 14, 1917, during World War I (1914-1918). The Battle of Messines was fought in October 1914 between the armies of the German and British empires, as part of the Race to the Sea, between the river Douve and the Comines–Ypres canal. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Home Photograph taken by Henry Armytage Sanders. In contrast to the eventual disaster at Passchendaele, the carefully prepared attack on Messines was a striking success. On 10-11 April 1918, the village fell into German hands once more after a stubborn defence by the South African Brigade, but was retaken for the last time on 28-29 September 1918. The battle plan was executed successfully, and by 7am the New Zealanders had cleared the town of Messines of German defenders. It’s all war. This film shows action at the Battle of the Somme in September 1916 and the Battle of Messines in June 1917. ‘My war was a good war, as was the next one. Outline programme to be confirmed and added to with possible changes: June 6: 08.30 "In the Footsteps of the New Zealanders" - the Messines battlefield walk was developed prior to the 90th Commemorations in 2007 by Dr Chris Pugsley, Martin O'Connor and Steven Reynaert with assistance from Dr Jeff McNeill. Read more ... New Zealand goes to war – First World War - overviewThe battle for Messines – Passchendaele: fighting for BelgiumOn the Western Front – Māori in the NZEFSamuel FrickletonFirst World War timeline – First World War - overviewFirst World War cemeteries map: Europe, UK and Republic of Ireland – Cemeteries - Europe, UK and IrelandBattle of Messines map – First World War in maps, 'Battle of Messines', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/battle-messines, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 20-Jan-2021. Advanced dressing station in German Second Lines during the Battle of Messines, Belgium. The sixth, and one of the biggest, was planted … These shafts were packed with enormous explosive charges and coordinated to detonate at Zero Hour: 3.10am on 7 June. Your father’s is a bad one. Behind you is the New Zealand Battle Memorial - which commemorates the actions of the soldiers who took part in the battle of Messines from 7 to 14 June 1917. Battle of Messines. Battle of Messines 100th Commemorations - June 2017. Tell me more... Pre-1840 contact, Holidays and events, The arts and entertainment, Disasters, Transport, Health and welfare, Decade studies, Sport, Crime and punishment, Immigration, Lifestyle, Places, The great outdoors, Memorials, Political milestones, Protest and reform, Treaty of Waitangi, Maori leadership, Heads of State, Parliament and the people, The work of government, New Zealand in the world, New Zealand's internal wars, South African War, First World War, Second World War, Post Second World War, Other conflicts, Memorials, mascots and memorabilia, Contexts and activities, Skills, Historical concepts, Education at Pukeahu, Useful links, Interactives, Videos, Sounds, Photos, Contact us, Site information, Quizzes, Calendar, Biographies, Check out the links below to like us, follow us, and get the latest from NZHistory, All text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence. Outline programme to be confirmed and added to with possible changes: June 6: 08.30 "In the Footsteps of the New Zealanders" - the Messines battlefield walk was developed prior to the 90th Commemorations in 2007 by Dr Chris Pugsley, Martin O'Connor and Steven Reynaert with assistance from Dr Jeff McNeill. New Zealand goes to war – First World War - overview, The battle for Messines – Passchendaele: fighting for Belgium, First World War timeline – First World War - overview, First World War cemeteries map: Europe, UK and Republic of Ireland – Cemeteries - Europe, UK and Ireland, Battle of Messines map – First World War in maps, The New Zealand Cyclists at Messines (WW100). In January 1916, Lieutenant-General Herbert Plumer recommended to Field Marsh… Lieutenant-General Godley’s II Anzac Corps would be the southernmost, facing Messines. Meet the NZHistory team, Advanced dressing station at Messines (Alexander Turnbull Library, 1/2-012773-G). In fact the name, Messines, demonstrates the sister town relationship with Messines in Flanders where troops trained at the Featherston Army Camp fought – and won – their first major battle of the First World War. Alexander Turnbull Library Ref: 1/2-012772-G. … For weeks prior to Zero Day they rehearsed the battle plan methodically – every aspect of the operation being planned in minute detail. The MESSINES RIDGE (NEW ZEALAND) … All non-text content is subject to specific conditions. The Battle of Messines was a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele. Tell me more... Pre-1840 contact, Holidays and events, The arts and entertainment, Disasters, Transport, Health and welfare, Decade studies, Sport, Crime and punishment, Immigration, Lifestyle, Places, The great outdoors, Memorials, Political milestones, Protest and reform, Treaty of Waitangi, Maori leadership, Heads of State, Parliament and the people, The work of government, New Zealand in the world, New Zealand's internal wars, South African War, First World War, Second World War, Post Second World War, Other conflicts, Memorials, mascots and memorabilia, Contexts and activities, Skills, Historical concepts, Education at Pukeahu, Useful links, Interactives, Videos, Sounds, Photos, Contact us, Site information, Quizzes, Calendar, Biographies, Check out the links below to like us, follow us, and get the latest from NZHistory, All text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence. From March 1917 the New Zealand Division was stationed in the Douve Sector (located at the bottom of the map), forming part of the British Second Army’s II Anzac Corps. Messines refers to a ridge south of the town of Ypres (Ieper today) captured by 12 British, Australian and New Zealand divisions on 7 June 1917. The Battle of Messines Road. Wounded soldiers being attended to by Ambulance Corps at an advanced dressing station in the German Second Lines during the Battle of Messines, Begium, 1917. An attack by French troops on 6 -7 November was unsuccessful and it was not until the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917 that it was retaken by the New Zealand Division. Immediately after Zero Hour a British artillery barrage began to creep forward, behind which British, Australian and New Zealand troops crossed no-man’s-land. It originally appeared in Damien Fenton, New Zealand and the First World War (Penguin, 2013), 'Battle of Messines map', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/battle-messines-map, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 22-Mar-2017. Godley ensured that the objective of the New Zealand Division, in the centre of his … Main article: Battle of Messines (1917) By mid-1917, Haig was planning an offensive in the heavily defended Ypres region of Flanders. Commercial re-use may be allowed on request. Not all comments posted. Thanks to careful planning, the capture of Messines Ridge was a stunning success and paved the way for the main attack later in the summer by removing German forces from the dominating ground on the southern face of the Ypres Salient. Speech by Hon Annette King (representing the NZ Government)at the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Messines. At 03h10 the New-Zealand forces go over the top and attack their objective: the village of Messines. The capture of Messines Ridge was a preliminary operation that took place just prior to … In the summer of 1917 the British launched a major offensive to capture the Messines Ridge, a salient on the Western Front from which the Germans had a commanding view over the British-held Ypres Salient to the north. Hundreds of casualties resulted, many from shell-fire. Free. Commercial re-use may be allowed on request. Australian troops then continued the push eastwards, extending the front line to the purple dotted line. This started with mild curiosity when we worked out my Grandfather, Rifleman Hugh McNeill, 3 rd NZ Rifle Brigade, had got his ‘Blighty’ (a wound sufficiently serious to you get sent home, but not actually killing you) there. The Battle of Messines: World War One's Magnum Opus 7 Jun, 2017 03:40 AM 5 minutes to read New Zealand soldiers watching the tanks advancing towards Messines Ridge during the attack of … Messines was an important success for the British Army leading up to the beginning of the Third Battle of Ypres several weeks later. It includes scenes of tanks being used and descriptions of what the battles were like from New Zealand troops who were there. Looking out over the valley, you are facing in the direction of where the New Zealand soldiers were assembled - ready to attack. Four on the extreme southern flank were not required because the ridge fell so quickly, and another, a 20,000-pound (9,100 kg) mine codenamed Peckham, was abandoned before the attack due to a tunnel collapse. British Messines Ridge Cemetery, Messines, West Flanders, Belgium. Mesen/Messines Part 2: The element of surprise was essential for this meticulously planned assault to work effectively, however risks were taken that could jeopardise such an assault. Perhaps you have a related experience you would like to share? Meticulously planned, the action started on the 7 th of June with the detonation of huge underground mines that rattled the teacups in London and killed 10,000 German soldiers.. Images and media On the day of the offensive, the Corps' aim was to capture the ruins of Messines before extending and consolidating their position at the purple line of dashes marked ‘Final Objective’. Almost immediately, New Zealand troops of the 2nd and 3rd (Rifle) Brigades left their trenches and advanced towards the ridge in front of them, on which lay the ruins of Messines village. Perhaps you have a related experience you would like to share? The Battle of Messines during the First World War was a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres − better known as Passchendaele − which began on 31 July 1917. A 45m-crater caused by an explosion under German positions at Messines, which killed about 10,000 soldiers and shook the ground for kilometres. The explosions devastated the German front-line positions, and caused disarray and thousands of deaths amongst the German forces. New Zealand suffered 3,000 … A highly sensitive aspect of the Battle of Messines is the circumstances surrounding the bayonetting of German prisoners and wounded men by Anzac soldiers – acts that technically amount to war crimes, Dr McNeill says. His plan involved a series of steps, the first of which was the capture of Messines Ridge by II ANZAC Corps. 150 likes. This site is produced by the Research and Publishing Group of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Manatū Taonga. By the time the New Zealand Division was relieved on 9 June, it had sustained 3700 casualties, including 700 dead, largely due to German artillery counter-attacks. This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. During this time Battalions were taken The Battle of Messines The New Zealand Division was sent to hold 1½ kilometres of frontline below Messines in November 1916, relieving the Canadian forces. Although the narration implies the film shows New Zealand troops, it is likely that they are in fact British. Date 1917 Ref 1/2-012773-G Description. Comments will be reviewed prior to posting. Battle of Messines 100th Commemorations - June 2017. Can you tell us more about the information on this page? Background. The attack forced the Germans to move reserves to Flanders from the Arras and Aisne fronts, relieving pres… The battle of Messines fought on 7 June 1917 was the first large-scale action involving Australian troops in Belgium and it also marked the entry of the 3rd Division into a major battle. Not all comments posted. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. New Zealand writer John A Lee’s novel Civilian into Soldier (1937) describes some of … The ‘Diggers’ spent the winter and spring of 1917 here, periodically raiding German positions and repelling raids in return. The Nivelle Offensive in April and May had failed to achieve its more grandiose aims, had led to the demoralisationof French troops and confounded the Anglo-French strategy for 1917. We have 19 biographies, 40 articles, related to Battle of Messines. You can also download a hi-res copy as a pdf (2.4 mbs). Battle of Messines, (7–14 June 1917), British victory during World War I. In 1916, the British planned to clear the German army from the Belgian coast to prevent them from using the coastal ports as bases from which to attack merchant ships and troop transports in the North Sea and English Channel. But in the end it makes no difference. One of seven memorials in France & Belgium to NZ soldiers who died on the Western Front & whose graves are not known. The rank and file were actually told of the details of the attack and the detonation of the mines prior to it so they would know what was happening in the resulting chaos. Those that did explode are shown as yellow dots, those that were discovered by the Germans or failed to explode are shown as black and yellow dots. Map produced by Geographx with research assistance from Damien Fenton and Caroline Lord. By the time the New Zealand Division was relieved on 9 June, it had sustained 3700 casualties, including 700 dead, largely due to German artillery counter-attacks. The New Zealanders paid a heavy price for success: by the time the New Zealand Division was withdrawn on 9 June, it had suffered 3700 casualties, 700 of them fatal. This site is produced by the Research and Publishing Group of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Manatū Taonga. Messines was the first ‘big push’ of 1917. Comments will be reviewed prior to posting. It’s always the same. photos ‘ The Battle of Messines (7–14 June 1917) was an attack by the British Second Army (General Sir Herbert Plumer), on the Western Front near the village of Messines (now Mesen) in West Flanders, Belgium, during the First World War. Can you tell us more about the information on this page? Battle of Messines, 1917 (Geographx) The plan for the assault on Messines Ridge provided for three corps to advance, each with three divisions in the front line and one in reserve, on a 16-km front. 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